Self-loading vehicle.



O. W. BRADSHER.

SELF LOADING VEHICLE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 18. 1915.

Patented 001.19, 1915.

2 S H E E TS$ H mm Wm (launder 0W. SRHDSHEFQ 0. W. BRADSHER.

SELF LOADING VEHICLE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB-18.1915.

Patented Oct. 19, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

i g 8 M W UNITED STATES PATENT orrrcn OLLIE W. BRADSHER, OF HARRISBURG, ARKANSAS.

sELr-LoAmuGvnHIcLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.-

Application filed February 18, 1915. Serial No. 9,109.

tion more particularly to a device of this.

general character including a scoop; and an object of the invention is to provide a de-' vice of this general character having novel an improved means whereby the body of the vehicle may be adjusted with convenience and facility relative to the surface to be engaged thereby.

Furthermore, it is an vention to provide a vehicle of this general character whereby the material deposited within the body thereof may be caused to move rearwardly.

It is also an object of the invention to provide means whereby the rearwardly movable material may be pulverized, said pulverizing means being also capable of adjustment relative to the material with which it coacts.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a vehicle of this general character having novel and improved means whereby the material deposited within the body of the vehicle may be distributed with convenience and facility and especially when employed in connection with fertilizer or the like. r

The invention consists in the details of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts of my improved self-loading vehicle whereby certain important advantages are attained and the device is rendered simpler, less expensive and otherwise more convenient and advantageous for use, all as will be hereinafter more fully, set forth.

The novel features of the invention will be carefully defined in the appended claims.

In order that my invention may be the better understood, I will now proceed to described the same with reference'to the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure' 1 is a view in side elevation of a self-loading vehicle constructed in accordance with an embodiment of my invention object of the in-- and adjusted. into operative position; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view taken through the device as herein embodied and with the body or apex 3 in an elevated position. Fig. 3 is an enlarged'fragmentary sectional view taken longitudinally of the bed of the vehicle body; Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse sectional view of the vehicle body; Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view in perspective illustrating in detaila mounting included in the feeding or Patented 0a. 19,1915.

pulverizing mechanism herein embodied;

Fig. 6- is an enlarged view, partly in elevation and partly in section, illustrating the driving means for the feeding or pulverizing mechanism herein set forth;F1g. '7 1s an enlarged fragmentary view in top plan illustrating indetail a mounting for certain of the controlling levers herein set forth; Fig. 8 is a transverse sectional view taken through the body of the device adjacent the discharge end thereof; and Fig. 9 is. a fragmentary view in elevation ,of the rear of the vehicle opposite to that shown in Fig. 1.

As disclosed in the accompanying drawings, 1 denotes a rear axle having rotatably mounted thereon the supporting wheels 2 and to which is fixedly engaged the vehicle body or box 3, said body being adapted for rocking movement relative to the wheels 2,

- and having its opposite ends open, the rear end being adapted to be closed by the end gate! in a manner to be hereinafter more particularly referred to. The box or body 3 of the vehicle may be constructed in any manner desired, as I do not Wish to be understood as limiting myself in any way as to the specific construction thereof. I also find it of advantage to have the body or box 3 operatively engaged intermediate its length with the axle 1, as is clearly shown in the accompanying drawings.

5 denotes a forward arched axle provided with suitable supporting wheels 6 and hav-'- ing operatively engaged therewith the draft rigging 7 which may be of any ordinary or preferred construction, and said forward axle 5 has coacting therewith suitable brace members 5, for a purpose which is believed to be self-evident. Pivotally engaged with the forward axle 5 are the extremities of the arms 8, the opposite extremities of said arms being pivotally engaged with the sides of the box or body 3 at a point intermediate the axle l and the forward end thereof whereby it will be perceived that upon proper manipulation of the arms 8, the forward extremity of the box or body 3'may be adjusted with convenience and facility relative to the surface over which the device 5 is adapted to travel.-

As herein disclosed, projecting upwardly from the arms 8 are supporting members 9 having pivotally engaged therewith the double lever 11, the extremities whereof be- 10 ing operatively engaged through the me dium of the links 12 with the sides of the box or body 3 at the forward end thereof whereby it will be perceived that upon inward movement being imparted to the upper extremity of the lever 9, the box or body 1 may be caused to assume a substantially horizontal position. The lever 9 coacts with the racks 14 operatively supported by one side of the box or body 3 and the upper extremity of an adjacent supporting member 9 whereby it will be perceived that the box or body 3 may be locked or maintained in its varying adjustments in a conventional or well known manner.

Pivotally supported with the front or forward extremity of the box or. body 3 is the scoop member 15 adapted to engage the surface over which the device is drawn in order to fill or load the box-or body 3, and in order that such scoop 15 may be raised or lowered as desired, I also have pivotally engaged with the members 9, a double lever 16, the extremities whereof being 'operatively engaged with the scoop through the medium of the links 18, said lever coacting in a con: ventional way with racks 14, hereinbefore referred to. The box or body 3 at a point vintermediate its forward end and the axle 1 is provided with a seat structure S, and it is to be particularly noted that the upper extremities of the levers 11 and 16 are in close proximity thereto in order that they may be readily and conveniently manipulated by the operator. It will also be seen that when the scoop 15 is in its vertical adjustment, it serves as a front end gate for the box or body 3.

Disposed transversely of the box or body 3 are the shafts 20 provided with the sprockets 21 around which are directed the endless sprocket chains 22 tied or connectedv by the transverse slats 23 whereby it will be perceived that a movable floor is afforded for the box or body 3 and which is adapted to travel rearwardly thereof so that the material deposited within the box or body 3 by. the scoop '15 is conveyed rearwardly so that, when required, the box or body 1 may be completely filled. The rear shaft 20 pro- 0 jects beyond opposite sides of the body or box 3 and has loosely mounted on-each projected extremity thereof, the gear 24 provided with the clutch face 25 with which is adapted to coact the clutch member 26 Q5 keyed to the shaft 20 but capable of movethus be seen that the rollers 37 will auto ment longitudinally thereof, said movement being under controlof the lever 27. The gear 24 is in mesh with an idle gear 28 rotatably supported by the box or body 3 and integrally produced-With the gear 28 7 is the sprocket 29 around which is directed an endless sprocket chain 30 also disposed around the drive sprocket 31 carried by one of the supporting wheels 2. Lalso find it of advantage to have disposed transverselv thereof;

Disposed transversely across the box or body 3oat predetermined intervals longitu- 5 dinally thereof are the bars 35 from which depend the rigid arms 36 positioned adjacent the opposite sides of the body or box 3 and having rotatably supported in their lower extremities the rollers 37 provided with the radially disposed teeth 38, said rollers 37 with their teeth 38 serving as pulverizing members for the material passing therebeneath, and which also serveas an additional means for forcing rearwardly the material delivered by the scoop 15. Also operatively supported by the bars 35 is the longitudinally disposed shaft 39 having fixed thereto gears 40 in mesh with the gears 41 loosely mounted on the bars 35.

Each of the gears41 has movable therewith a sprocket 42 around which is disposed a chain 43 also directed around a sprocket 44 fixed to the coacting roller 37 whereby it will be perceived that upon imparting axial rotation to the longitudinally disposed shaft 39, the rollers 37 will be caused to simultaneously rotate. As herein embodied, the rear extremity of the horizontally disposed shaft 39 is provided with a gear 45 in mesh with a gear 46 fixed to the transversely disposed shaft 47 carried by the box or body 3 and provided at one extremity w1th' the sprocket 48- around which is, disposed a sprocket chain 49 also directed around a sprocket 50 carried by a p,ro ected extremity of the rear shaft 20. v j g The rigid arms36 are fixed to the bars 35, said bars being freely" rotatable, and 1t W111 matically move upwardly or downwardlyas the thickness of the layer of the mater al carried by the movable floor increases or decreases. Y

In practice, I find 1t o f advantage to have each of the rollers 37 mounted upon sta tionary shafts 51 and to provlde-such shafts 51 with the anti-frictio'nmembers 52 adapt-' ed to engage the sides of the box or body 3 so that the rollers 37 may move upwardly 13 or downwardly with a minimum of frictional resistance. I also find it of advanfree extremity with an elongated slot 54 adapted to receive the lateral projection 55 carried by the rod. 56 depending from an elongated arm 57 mounted for reciprocatory movement longitudinally of the box or body 3. By this arrangement, it will be seen that movement of the rod 56 in one direction will cause the rollers 37 to be elevated, while movement in the opposite direction will cause the rollers to be lowered.

It is also a purpose of my invention to employ my machine as a distributer for fertilizer or the like. For that reason I have disposed at the rear or tail ofthe box or body 3, the vertically spaced toothed rollers 58 operatively connected, as at 59, whereby the same may be caused to rotate in unison, and one of said rollers, as at 60, is operatively engaged with the rear shaft 20, it being understood that when my improved device is employed as a distributer, the end gate 4 is adjusted into an open position under the influence of the lever 61.

Coacting with the upper stretch of the movable floor adjacent the rear extremity of the body or box 3 is the scraper member 62 pivotally supported by the sides of the box or body 3 and disposed transversely on a suitable incline, the longitudinal edge thereof being maintained in engagement with the top surface of the upper stretch of i the movable floor through the medium of I within the body or box 3.

the retractible members 63, herein disclosed .as conventional coil springs, secured to the scraper at predetermined points and to the sidesof the box or' body 3. I prefer to have this scraper positioned below the end gate 4 whereby it will be perceived that such scraper will not interfere with the passage of the'movable floor around the rear shaft 20 and it will also be observed that this scraper member 62 does not materially interfere with the discharge of the material From the foregoing description, it is thought to be obvious that a self-loading vehicle constructed in accordance with my invention is particularly well adapted for use by reason of the convenience and with which it may be assembled, and it will also be obvious that 'my invention is susceptible of some change and modification without material departure from the principles and spirit thereof and for this reason I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise arrangement and formation of the several parts herein shown in carrying out my invention in practice.

As herein embodied, each of the racks 14 comprises a segmental toothed portion 64: pivoted at one extremity, as indicated at 65, to a side of the vehicle body and having its opposite extremity provided with an elongated segmental slot 66 through which is projected a pin 67 carried by the up er extremity of the extension 68 of the a jacent supporting member 9. It is also to be observed that the levers 11 and 16 are pivotally engaged with the shaft 10 connecting the supporting members 9 adjacent the upper extremities thereof.

I claim: I 1. In combination, a wheel supported shaft, a body mounted upon said shaft and capable. of rocking movement thereon, the forward end of said body being open, a forward wheel supported axle, supporting members projecting upwardly from the arms, a double lever pivotally engaged with the supporting members, the lower extremities of said lever being operatively engaged with the body at a point in advance of the pivotal connection between the arms and the body, coacting locking means carried by the lever and the'body, and a ground en gaging element carried by the forward extremity of the body. v 2. In combination with a body, a plurality of bars disposed transversely thereof and arranged in predetermined longitudinal adrollers may be raised orlowered, a rotatable element loosely mounted on each of the bars, an operative connection between said element and the adjacent roller, and means common to each of the elements for rotating the same in unison.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature in the presence'of two witnesses.

OLLIE BRADSHER.

witne i E f-M. EYART: v 3, B. VAUGHAS' 

